All of Manipur is praying, not just for a knockout show by Mary Kom in faraway London on Wednesday but also for 10 minutes of uninterrupted power here at home so they can watch her on their TV sets.

All of Manipur is praying, not just for a knockout show by Mary Kom in faraway London on Wednesday but also for 10 minutes of uninterrupted power here at home so they can watch her on their TV sets.

Half of Manipur — including the 300-odd people of Kengathel, Mary Kom’s native village — missed her opening bout on Sunday. They were luckier Monday, when they got to see her land the decisive blows in the quarterfinal.

“All we want is 8-10 minutes of uninterrupted power when her semifinal starts at 6.15pm,” Mary’s father, Tonpa Kom, said.

“There’s a difference watching Magnificent Mary live and reading about her exploits the next day,” said T Rishikant, a fan.

“It’s an uphill task but we are trying our best to ensure there is power across the state around the time the bout starts,” a state electricity board engineer said.